Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire's Moors
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Call for Answers from Council Over "Mob Handed" Security Presence on Ilkley Moor.
Ban Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor ("BBIM") is calling for Bradford Council to give answers on whether it authorised the deployment of security guards on Ilkley Moor yesterday. Over a dozen security officers, understood to have been drafted in from Herefordshire-based rural security agency CountryWatch (UK) Limited to assist with grouse shooting, mounted the high-profile operation, which involved personnel, none of whom were wearing SIA identification badges, patrolling on the Council-owned moorland and blocking access on Keighley Road.
The exercise came at the height of the busy Summer season, when visitors flock to Ilkley Moor to enjoy its picturesque landscape. However, this is not the first time BMDC has been asked to account for the conduct of its grouse shooting tenants. In 2009 and 2013 its gamekeepers were accused of being “rude and aggressive” to dog walkers and warning people - including students conducting scientific research - off the land.
Luke Steele, Spokesperson for BBIM, comments: “Ilkley Moor is a public space designated for the enjoyment its users, with visitors flocking to enjoy the landscape during the busy Summer months.
Deploying security personnel across the moor in a mob-handed fashion clearly interferes with those wishing to take leisure.
Steele continues, “BBIM is calling on Bradford Council to give answers on whether it authorised this forceful operation and if not, take appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again.”
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Call for Answers from Council Over "Mob Handed" Security Presence on Ilkley Moor.
Ban Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor ("BBIM") is calling for Bradford Council to give answers on whether it authorised the deployment of security guards on Ilkley Moor yesterday. Over a dozen security officers, understood to have been drafted in from Herefordshire-based rural security agency CountryWatch (UK) Limited to assist with grouse shooting, mounted the high-profile operation, which involved personnel, none of whom were wearing SIA identification badges, patrolling on the Council-owned moorland and blocking access on Keighley Road.
The exercise came at the height of the busy Summer season, when visitors flock to Ilkley Moor to enjoy its picturesque landscape. However, this is not the first time BMDC has been asked to account for the conduct of its grouse shooting tenants. In 2009 and 2013 its gamekeepers were accused of being “rude and aggressive” to dog walkers and warning people - including students conducting scientific research - off the land.
Luke Steele, Spokesperson for BBIM, comments: “Ilkley Moor is a public space designated for the enjoyment its users, with visitors flocking to enjoy the landscape during the busy Summer months.
Deploying security personnel across the moor in a mob-handed fashion clearly interferes with those wishing to take leisure.
Steele continues, “BBIM is calling on Bradford Council to give answers on whether it authorised this forceful operation and if not, take appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again.”